Chapter 022: Hope You Find Redemption

A weapon that grants its wielder the power to see the future.

No elaboration was needed—just hearing that description was enough to understand how broken and terrifying such an Orga Lux was.

Thanks to possessing this weapon, Claudia Enfield had secured her position as Seidoukan Academy's second-ranked student. Dubbed the Commander of a Thousand Visions, she was unanimously regarded as the last person anyone wanted to face in a duel.

After all, how does one defeat someone who can see the future?

Even the current Rank One, Kirin Toudou, would likely prefer to avoid Claudia.

But such power came with a cost.

"Every Orga Lux exacts a price from its wielder."

Holding Pan-Dora's activator, Aizen murmured as if speaking to the weapon itself.

"Some costs are mild and manageable, while others are unbearable. My Ser-Veresta belongs to the former category."

Ser-Veresta's price was a massive consumption of prana.

For most, that would render it unusable. Aizen, however, was a rare exception.

"But you, Pan-Dora, belong to the latter category."

Aizen's gaze toward Pan-Dora grew cold.

"The price for using you is to repeatedly taste death, isn't it?"

Unlike Ser-Veresta's temperamental yet occasionally charming personality, Pan-Dora was outright malicious.

It delighted in the torment of its wielder, reveling in the agony they experienced when faced with their own death.

For every night a wielder used Pan-Dora, they would relive their death in vivid dreams.

Not just one death, either. Pan-Dora ensured the wielder experienced an endless variety of demises—illness, accidents, starvation, freezing, suicide, or being murdered.

Upon waking, the dreams would dissolve like mist, but the fear and pain of dying would linger, leaving behind fragmented memories to haunt the wielder.

This psychological torture ensured that no one had ever lasted long as Pan-Dora's wielder—until Claudia.

"Before Claudia, no one endured you for more than three days," Aizen whispered.

Claudia, however, had beared Pan-Dora's curse for years.

For years, she had relived her death nightly, experiencing it in countless ways.

If nothing changed, she would continue to suffer indefinitely.

"But that ends here," Aizen declared, his voice colder than ever.

"This girl showed me kindness. I will repay it."

He tightened his grip on Pan-Dora, his tone commanding.

"From this moment forward, you are forbidden from causing her any more pain."

"Not only that—you will atone for what you've done to her."

"Her dreams will be filled with happiness from now on. Whatever joy she desires, you will create it for her."

"Do you understand me?"

Golden markings began to etch themselves across Aizen's hand, radiating an aura of overwhelming power.

"—!"

Pan-Dora trembled in his grasp.

The once-malevolent Orga Lux now quaked with fear.

For the first time, the weapon seemed to comprehend that it was in the presence of something far beyond its understanding.

Aizen, wielding his absolute authority over weapons, had subdued Pan-Dora completely.

He hadn't even needed to formally claim the Orga Lux. The moment he touched Pan-Dora, its essence had been laid bare before him.

If he willed it, he could obliterate Pan-Dora in an instant, reducing it to nothingness and consigning its consciousness to eternal torment.

This was the unyielding dominance of his authority.

Even a weapon as cruel as Pan-Dora was left trembling, incapable of resistance.

Satisfied, Aizen slid Pan-Dora's activator back under Claudia's blanket.

He turned his gaze to Claudia's face, noticing how her previous expression of torment had softened.

For the first time, her lips curved into a genuine smile.

Claudia often smiled, but those smiles were polite masks or veils for deeper emotions.

Only someone who knew the truth, as Aizen did, would understand the burden she carried—the tragic, misguided wish that drove her.

"I hope you find redemption," Aizen murmured softly.

He quietly left her room, retracing his steps and exiting the dormitory.

Time Passed

More than a week had gone by since Aizen had acquired Ser-Veresta and discovered a way to steadily enhance his abilities.

During this time, he applied for and moved into a larger single dorm, befitting his new rank as the 13th student on the Named Charts.

His days followed a strict routine.

At dawn, Aizen would wake and train outdoors, running or practicing swordplay to adapt to his growing strength.

Ever since gaining superhuman abilities, he had felt an almost boundless energy within him. Idleness seemed impossible, and he relished every chance to push his body to its limits.

Training lasted until class time, after which he would dutifully attend lectures.

While the mundane aspects of education bored him, Aizen found the world's post-Invertia history and the advent of mana technology—Stellar Engineering—fascinating.

With his growth largely automated, Aizen had the freedom to focus on these intellectual pursuits.

Physical and prana capabilities improved with each session in the Manadyte chamber. Combat skills, meanwhile, were instinctual, thanks to his unique authority over weapons.

Even Ser-Veresta, a notoriously difficult weapon, was fully under his control.

This left Aizen with little to stress over, except for the occasional academic test.

Thankfully, his high rank granted him certain privileges. The academy turned a blind eye to any academic shortcomings among its top students, a leniency Aizen happily embraced.

After a week of this routine, Aizen was ready for another round of enhancement.

After class, he headed to the underground storage facility to absorb more Manadytes.

.....

When he emerged, his aura was noticeably stronger, his satisfaction evident.

"Progress feels amazing," Aizen mused, his steps light as he made his way back to his dorm.

But as he walked, a loud explosion shattered the quiet.

"An explosion?"

Startled, Aizen turned toward the source of the noise.

His expression stiffened.

"That's… the girls' dormitory?"